This exchange last night between Tom Brokaw and Chris Matthews is revealing: BROKAW: You know what I think we’re going to have to do? MATTHEWS: Yes sir? BROKAW: Wait for the voters to make their judgment. MATTHEWS: Well what do we do then in the days before the ballot? We must stay home, I guess. BROKAW: No, no we don’t … Read More
Shorter Gloria Steinem
NYT: I don’t want this to be a competition as to who has it worse: Obama facing racism, or Clinton facing sexism. It’s unseemly to make this make comparisons as if it were a competition. But, you know, Clinton has it worse.
Election 2008 Analysis: New Hampshire Final Results
Some slightly-organized thoughts: Democrats (1) Why Hillary won. Because she got more votes. (2) No seriously. Why Hillary won. I think there are a number of factors that came in to play. Most voters made their decision in the past few days, so that’s where my focus is. First, the last debate. I thought Edwards "won" it, but for people … Read More
Election 2008 Analysis: NH Results
Well, it’s 10:00 and the story is Clinton. She hasn’t won (yet), although she is leading, proving the polls and pundits (myself included) very very wrong. This means, of course, that even if Obama ekes out a win, he still "lost". Odd. Two weeks ago the Clinton nomination was "inevitable". As of yesterday and this morning, many were saying that … Read More
New Hampshire Update
No exit poll leaks, folks. (Here’s why) But it looks like turnout in New Hampshire is likely to be at record-setting levels. More importantly: I’m watching MSNBC now and have heard already a couple of times that there are precincts that are requesting extra Democratic ballots from the Secretary of State as turnout is exceeding predictions. I do not know … Read More
Obama In Concord
Amateur video: Says Ezra Klein: The line began forming three hours prior to the event, in 30 degree weather. The journalists covering the speech kept pulling out their personal cameras to snap photos: Somehow, this run of his, these crowds of his, feel historic The words "Bobbie Kennedy" float up dozens of times a night.
Again, Rudy Invokes 9/11
On MSNBC today, he was asked about Clinton’s "holding back the tears". So naturally, he responds with: The reality is, if you look at me, September 11 — the funerals, the memorial services — there were times in which it was impossible not to feel the emotion. Jon Stewart was right: Rudy has "9/11 Tourette’s". UPDATE — the video:
What Does Seven-Of-Nine (Jeri Ryan) Have To Do With Obama?
Some say, if it weren’t for her, we wouldn’t have Obama: Back in 2004, Barack Obama was an Illinois state senator with some modest accomplishments on his resume. He spearheaded welfare reform in the Illinois statehouse, and took the lead in passing a law that required interrogations in murder cases to be videotaped. After unsuccessfully challenging strong Democratic incumbent Bobby … Read More
Ashamed Of My Gender
F***in’ idiot: SALEM, N.H. — Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton was about to deliver a line that has become a centerpiece of her campaign since her loss in Iowa. “Everybody in this race is talking about change. But what does that mean?” “Iron my shirt!” yelled a man, who stood up in the middle of a jammed and stuffy auditorium at … Read More
From Our New Hampshire Correspondent
At last the big day is here! Obama is going to have a BIG victory but the question there is whether or not Edwards can beat out Clinton (probably not but it could happen). The interesting development is that a lot of the independent voters who were going to vote for McCain now are jumping on the Obama bandwagon so … Read More
Voices Of The Past
It’s an odd feeling for me to hop in my car here in Winston-Salem, turn on NPR, and hear voices from my childhood days. Old neighbors, friends of the family, etc. — they’re all being interviewed. "Oh, I remember her," I say to myself. "She still alive? I guess so." And then you hear about the places. Obama at my … Read More
The Dynastification of American Politics
Like many, one of my chief problems with Hillary isn’t Hillary per se, but the whole idea of politics in this country being headed by only two families in the past 20 years. Last night at Dartmouth, a student raised this issue with Bill Clinton: Moments later, Clinton — his voice hoarse, sometimes cracking — took arguably the toughest question … Read More
My Response To A Senile Old Man
First the senile old man: My response: Millard Fillmore? Polk? Taft? These are all silly names when you think about it. The reason, Andy, you can’t fathom a "President Huckabee" or a "President Obama" is because of your failure of imagination. I used to like your social commentary, but your ever-drying brain is just turning you into a sad pathetic … Read More
The Subtle Smearing Of Hillary
Honestly, this is ridiculous. After months and months of labelling Hillary Clinton has being too harsh and cold (or, as my mother would say, not very "womanly"), now they’re coming after Hillary from the other side. You see, according to reports, tears welled up in Hillary’s eyes at a campain stop this morning. Naturally, this begs the media to ask: … Read More
U2: The Choice Of Candidates
NPR: When Barack Obama took the stage in DeMoines to deliver his impassioned Iowa caucus victory speech, U2’s song "City of Blinding Lights" preceded him. On the same night, John Edwards’ address to his supporters was also paired with a U2 song, "In The Name of Love?" Since when has U2 become the band to sum up American sentiment? Or … Read More